The Show Stoppers
by Dede42
Summary: Apple Bloom, Sweetie Bell, and Scootaloo are trying everything that they can think of to earn their cutie marks without any luck. When the school talent show is mentioned, they see it as a chance to get their cutie marks. Will the Cutie Mark Crusaders get their cutie marks?
1. Chapter 1: CLUBHOUSE AND TALENT SEARCH

My Little Pony Friendship is Magic: The Show Stoppers

A/N: Dede42 here and I'm happy to say that I'm feeling much better, thanks to that soup that Granny Smith made for me.

Applejack: Happy to have helped.

Dede42: Yup, and be sure to thank Granny Smith for me when you get a chance, AJ.

Applejack: I'm be sure to, sugarcube.

Apple Bloom: Enough chatting! Ya got a chapter to put up!

Applejack: Now just calm down there, Apple Bloom. The chapter will go up soon.

Sweetie Belle: How soon? How soon?

Dede42: Soon.

Scootaloo: Where's the chapter? I'll post it. (she hurries to the computer with Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle)

Dede42: Gah! No touchy the computer! (chases after them)

Applejack: (sighs) This is going to be a long day.

Read, review, and enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from _My Little Pony: Magic is Friendship_. I just own any and all characters that I just happen create.

* * *

 **CHAPTER ONE: CLUBHOUSE AND TALENT SEARCH**

It was a sunny day and Applejack was leading Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle through the orchard to a location that was some distance from the farmhouse and the barn.

"Where are you takin' us?" Apple Bloom asked her big sister.

Applejack just smiled. "We're almost there, young'uns."

Sweetie Belle looked around a little nervously, not having spent that much time in the orchards. "I've never been here before."

Applejack and Apple Bloom both brushed past a large leaf, which ended up hitting Scootaloo in the face. "Ouch!"

"Oh. Sorry," said Apple Bloom, going back and moving the leaf to let her friend past.

Scootaloo gingerly rubbed her nose and they resumed walking. "Are we there yet?" she asked, annoyed.

"There? Where? What? I don't even know what we're doing," Sweetie Belle complained, still following them.

Chuckling, Applejack lead them out of the orchard and into a clearing that had a single tree in the center with what had once been a treehouse built onto the branches. "Here we are," she said with a big smile.

"What are we lookin' at?" Apple Bloom asked.

"I have _no_ idea," said Scootaloo.

"What _is_ that thing?" Sweetie Belle wondered.

"Cutie Mark Crusaders, welcome to your new clubhouse," Applejack announced proudly and sighed when she was met with silence from the three fillies. "Well, don't thank me all at once," she muttered, leading them up a ramp to the porch lining the treehouse. "This was _my_ clubhouse when I was your age. Sure it hasn't been used in a while, but it's empty and on a secluded, private part of the farm. And it's all yours. It just needs a little, uh… TLC." She then winced when a section of the roof fell off.

Scootaloo looked at the treehouse skeptically. "TLC as in Tender Loving Care or Totally Lost Cause?"

"Applejack! We're supposed to turn _this_ into our new clubhouse?" Apple Bloom asked, disappointed.

Applejack sighed and leaned against the nearest wall. "Well, maybe y'all will get your cutie marks when you discover your talent for… Waaah!" she yelped when a section of the wall collapsed, and she fell inside, getting buried by rubble. She dug herself out with a slight dazed expression as the three fillies poked their heads inside to check on her. "Uh… house cleanin'?" And the three fillies all snickered.

* * *

Some hours later, Scootaloo was back in Ponyville, where she was finishing making a map of the area, and was putting the finishing touches on a picture of the library. Finished, she rolled up the map, stuck it in her backpack, and then she zoomed off on her scooter with her wings flapping as fast as they could.

The small orange pegasus zipped through the town, startling the ponies and she nearly ran Granny Smith over, who yelled after her. She did a number of tricks on her way back to the treehouse, which included terrorizing birds.

* * *

Meanwhile, Apple Bloom was finishing up painting the ramp that lead to the newly restored treehouse when she heard her friend coming and cringed, expecting to be hit, but it never happened, and she was glad. "Whoa! Hi, Scootaloo! Back already? You're amazin' on that scooter," she commented.

Scootaloo hopped off her scooter and removed her helmet while her mane sprang back into shape. "Thanks!" she replied and she stared in amazement at the treehouse, which was now a 100% better then it had been that morning. "Wow, Apple Bloom. You did all of this?" she asked, impressed.

"Yep!" Apple Bloom confirmed happily and pointed out all the improvement. "I've fixed the broken shutters, sanded off the splinters, rebuilt the roof, painted…" she trailed off happily.

"That's so cool," Scootaloo complimented. "What's Sweetie Belle up to?" she wondered, looking around for their friend.

* * *

A short distance away, Sweetie Belle was singing and dusting off a picnic table with her tail. "We are the Cutie Mark Crusaders…" she hummed. "…Never stop the journey…" She was still humming and dusting off a tree when her two friends came out of the bushes.

"There you are, Sweetie Belle!" said Apple Bloom. "See? I told you we could find her by following her totally awesome voice."

"What's that sweet tune you're singing?" Scootaloo asked.

Sweetie Belle flushed a little. "Oh. I was just working on our new Cutie Mark Crusaders theme song."

"Cool!" said her friends, impressed.

"Teach us?" Scootaloo requested.

"Well, I've only come up with one part… but okay!" Sweetie Belle agreed after hesitating for a moment, and they went back to the treehouse.

* * *

Curious to see how the Cutie Mark Crusaders were doing, Applejack went to the treehouse, which she was impressed to see was vastly improved, and then she heard Sweetie Belle singing. She went up the ramp to the nearest window and listened.

"They all say that you will get your mark," Sweetie Belle sang. "When the time is really right…"

"And you know just what you're supposed to do," Apple Bloom sang, joining in.

"And your talent comes to light!" Scootaloo sang both loudly and off-key.

Applejack cringed at that last bit and shook her head to clear her ears. "Well, uh… I'll be, Cutie Mark Crusaders," she remarked, resting her forelegs on the window seal and peered inside. "You've done one fine job with this place. So, what's next?" she inquired.

"Well, now that we have a real life clubhouse…" said Apple Bloom.

"…and a map of Ponyville…" said Scootaloo, nodding to the map she'd pinned to the nearest wall.

"…and a Cutie Mark Crusaders theme song…" Sweetie Belle added.

Applejack blinked. "Theme song?"

"We're gonna go out in the world and discover our talents," Apple Bloom announced.

"A new adventure!" Scootaloo declared.

"And earn our cutie marks," Sweetie Belle added.

"We'll leave no stone unturned!"

"No mountain unclimbed!"

"No meal uncooked!"

"No sock unworn!"

Applejack chuckled at their energy. "Well okay then! Sounds like you have a plan. I gotta, uh… Leave no apple unpicked! See y'all later!" she told them before leaving to get back to work on her chores.

"Are we ready to get our cutie marks, ponies?" Scootaloo asked.

"Ready!"

* * *

Their first stop was at the barn at Sweet Apple Acres, where they filled troughs with buckets filled with leftovers and liquid before Apple Bloom rang a bell, and they were run over by the pigs , who went squealing by to reach the troughs and eat the food. The three fillies dusted themselves off and then checked their flanks, but they were still blank.

So much for getting their cutie marks in pig feeding.

* * *

The Cutie Mark Crusaders then went to Carousel Boutique, where they set up a hair salon with Rarity's permission, and while Apple Bloom rang a bell to get ponies come in to have their hair styled and colored differently, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle were busy mixing up colors, and their first customer was Frou Frou.

Moments later, Frou Frou ran out of the boutique wailing for she now had clown hair! The three fillies watched her run off and then checked their flanks, but they were still blank, and they sighed. So much for hair styling.

* * *

After failing at making taffy at Sugarcube Corner, making potions at the Apothecary, which left the three fillies looking very colorful until Sunrise Blossom restored them to normal, scuba diving, and many other things, the Cutie Mark Crusaders went to the library, which was the last stop on their map.

* * *

Cheerilee and Twilight Sparkle were chatting about their favorite books when they entered the library and Spike ran up to them with an alarmed expression on his face. "I had nothing to do with this."

Twilight Sparkle was confused until she saw the mess in the middle of the library: nearly all of the books were in a pile on the floor, along with pieces of papers. "What is going on here?" she asked, shocked.

Apple Bloom poked her head out of the pile with a sheepish expression on her face. "Hmm… Well, we sure aren't gettin' our cutie marks for bein' librarians," she admitted and both Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo agreed as they poked their heads out of the pile too.

"Huh. I should think not," Spike grumbled and earned two sharp looks from Twilight Sparkle and Cheerilee. "What?"

Sighing, Twilight Sparkle went over to the book pile as the three fillies dug themselves out. "Girls, I think you're going about this the wrong way," she informed them, having heard from Sunrise Blossom and other ponies about their attempts to get their cutie marks, and how her twin had to track Frou Frou down in order to return her hair to normal. "Instead of trying to do things in areas you're not familiar with, why not try doing things in areas that you already like?" she suggested.

"And I have the perfect place to start," said the school teacher, taking a filer out of her bag and showed it to her students.

""Showcase your talents…"" Apple Bloom read.

""…for all to see,"" said Scootaloo.

""Perform in the Ponyville school talent show!"" Sweetie Belle finished reading and shared a excited look with her friends.

"There'll be all sorts of awards," Cheerilee explained. "Best dramatic performance, best comedy act, best magic act… Surely you can find _your_ talent."

Apple Bloom was excited and she was already coming up with ideas. "This _would_ be the perfect place to discover our talents," she agreed. "Jugglin'!"

"Acting!"

"Magic tricks!"

"Square dancin'!"

"Tightrope walking!"

"Tiger taming!"

"My little ponies!" Twilight Sparkle called out, getting the attention of the three fillies. "You're missing the point. Think about the things you already enjoy doing. Think about what you're already good at."

Scootaloo nodded. "Sure! We can do that."

"Yeah! Sure we can," Sweetie Belle agreed.

"Well, whatever we do, we'll do it as…" said Apple Bloom and she high-hoof her friends "…The Cutie Mark Crusaders!" And they hurried out of the library to get to work on their plan for the talent show.

Both Twilight Sparkle and Cheerilee chuckled before helping Spike put all the books and papers away in their proper places.

* * *

A/N: All kids are eager to find out what they're good at. ;) R&R everyone!


	2. Chapter 2: TALENT WORKSHOP

My Little Pony Friendship is Magic: The Show Stoppers

A/N: Yes, I'm posting a second chapter since I'll be busy at the movie theater tomorrow morning and I might not to get to do much updating. Later! ;)

Read, review, and enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from _My Little Pony: Magic is Friendship_. I just own any and all characters that I just happen create.

* * *

 **CHAPTER TWO: TALENT WORKSHOP**

The next day, the Cutie Mark Crusaders went first to the boutique, where Sweetie Belle had them load the cart connected to the scooter with different colored fabric, and they zoomed off just as Rarity came running out of the shop, yelling at them.

"Sweetie Belle!" she shrieked after the three filles. "I told you not to touch my things. Come back with my supplies!"

"We're just borrowing them for the talent show," Sweetie Belle called back to her big sister. "Don't worry, sis. I promise we'll bring them back."

* * *

Going into town, they stopped by the shop run by Mr. Breezy, who placed a fan into the cart.

"Thanks, Mr. Breezy," said Scootaloo. "We'll return the fan to you real soon."

"What do we need this fan for?" Apple Bloom asked.

Sweetie Belle winked. "Trust me on this one."

* * *

Next, they went to the nearby hardware store to pick up wood, plywood, nails, paint, and brushes. "Okay," said Scootaloo after loading the last of the supplies into the cart, "so that's six wooden planks, four-by-eight plywood, a box of nails, four cans of paint, and four brushes. Anything else?" she asked.

"Yeah," said Sweetie Belle. "Instructions on how to use six wooden planks, four-by-eight plywood, a box of nails, four cans of paint, and four brushes."

"Why not go to the library?" Apple Bloom suggested and her friends agreed.

* * *

After hearing their requests, Twilight Sparkle gave them a book about building sets and a second book, which had her perplex. ""Ghosts, Goblins and Ghoulish Figures"?" she asked, reading the title before Spike put the book in the cart. "Good heavens, girls. What do you need a book like this for?"

"You'll see," Scootaloo promised. "Thanks, Twilight. We'll give it back as soon as we're done with it." She then began flapping her wings and they were off.

Twilight Sparkle watched them go, and she was a bit worried. "What do you think they're up to?" she wondered.

"I have no idea," Spike admitted, "and I don't know if I should be excited or scared to find out."

* * *

At the Apothecary, Sunrise Blossom was surprised when the three fillies showed up and asked if they could borrow some supplies to making firework potions. "Um, why don't I just make them for you?" she offered. "They're pretty complicated and they'll last longer that way," she added.

The three fillies agreed and she fixed up a small batch of the firework potions, carefully putting them into the cart, and she watched them zoom off. _'I hope I don't regret giving them those potions,'_ she thought, going back to work while feeling worried.

* * *

Once they had their supples, they went back to the treehouse to work on their plan for the talent show.

"I'm glad we're doin' this as a team," said Apple Bloom happily.

"Me too," Sweetie Belle agreed. "Um… so what are we doing again?" she asked.

"A super awesome dramatic song for the talent show, of course." Scootaloo reminded her.

Sweetie Belle nodded, remembering the plan. "Right! With super-cool scenery. And amazing costumes!"

"And mind-blowin' dance moves," Apple Bloom added, pretending to do some dance moves.

"This is gonna be _soo_ amazing!" Scootaloo cheered.

Apple Bloom turned to Sweetie Belle, who was examining some of the fabric. "Sweetie Belle, I think you should be a singer," she suggested.

"What? No way I'm singing in front of a crowd," Sweetie Belle protested, hiding behind the fabric. "Twilight said to do something we like to do, and I'd like to be like my big sister, and she's a designer."

"Fine then," said Scootaloo. "You can do the costumes and the scenery."

"And Scootaloo, you're great in maneuvers on your scooter," said Apple Bloom, who'd been hoping to do the costumes and scenery. "So you should do the choreography. Y'know, all those dance moves," she suggested.

Scootaloo started to nod and then quickly shook her head. "Nah. I'd rather sing a wicked rock ballad," she decided. "Why don't you come up with the dance routine, Apple Bloom?" she suggested.

"Hm… I'm not much of a dancer…" Apple Bloom admitted, thinking, " _but_ I do like Kung-fu. That's kinda like dancin'. Hi-ya! Hah! Hah! Yah!" And she did a few fancy kicks.

"Then it's settled!" said Sweetie Belle, no longer hiding behind the fabric. "Let's get started."

* * *

For the next few hours, Apple Bloom was working on the dance routine while Scootaloo was figuring out the song on a toy piano, and Sweetie Belle was busy working on the scenery and the costumes. And it turned out that it was a good thing they were working on everything outside, because it wasn't going well for any of them.

* * *

Apple Bloom turned on some ballet music and she was trying to spin without too much luck, and she ended up landing on Scootaloo's tail. "One… two… three… Oh! Oh!"

"Ow, Apple Bloom!" the orange pegasus yelped and helped her friend up. "What are you doing?" she asked.

"Oh, I feel like I have four left feet," Apple Bloom complained since her kung fu wasn't that bad, but the dancing was. "I can't even spin right."

"Don't be silly," said Scootaloo. "You just gotta keep your head forward until the very last minute, like this." She then did a fast spin and landed on one foreleg, easily balancing. "See? Easy-peasy. You just gotta practice a bunch, that's all," she added, and resumed standing.

Apple Bloom was impressed. "Wow! That does look easy," she commented. "Thanks. Okay. Let's try this again." She tried spinning again and ended up taking a tumble instead. "Oh! Ouch! Ow. I'm okay!"

"Keep practicing!" Scootaloo called out to her.

"Will do."

* * *

Some time later, Scootaloo was still at the piano, trying to coming up with a song, and she was struggling with both the piano keys and the words. "We fight the fight, walk the walk. Talk the talk, eat the… uh… food like a celery stalk?" she wondered and then groaned, banging her head on the piano keys in frustration. "Ugh! I'll never come up with anything! Never, never, never!" She sat up and blinked when a roll of purple fabric went rolling and bouncing past.

"Come back! Come back!" Sweetie Belle yelped, chasing after the runaway fabric and failed to catch it. "Uh. Dumb fabric," she grumbled and looked at her friend. "Hey, Scoot! How's the song going?" she asked and the orange pegasus did a raspberry in response. "Pbbbt? Oh my! Sounds serious," she remarked.

"I'm just no good at lyrics," Scootaloo complained. "Coming up with words is, like… really hard." _'Maybe I should've done the dancing instead.'_

Sweetie Belle joined her at the piano to look at the lyrics. "Oh, it can't be that bad. "With our cutie marks we'll rock Equestria. We use our stomachs to… digestia"?" she read and saw that they were bad. "Umm… Well… These are… um… good, but… How about after "we fight the fight"…" She then sang. "There is nothing that we fear. We'll have to figure out what we'll do next. 'Til our cutie marks are here."

"Wow! That's so awesome!" Scootaloo exclaimed. "Did you just come up with that now?"

Sweetie Belle blushed and nodded. "Yeah… kind of."

"Thanks, I'm totally using that," said Scootaloo, and then she nodded to the fabric, just as it fell into the nearby pond.

"Oh no!"

* * *

After retrieving the fabric from the pond and hanging it up to dry, Sweetie Belle was now sewing the costumes. When she was done, she held it up to look the gold/purple outfit over. "One, two, three, four, _five_?" she counted that she'd made five legs instead of four and she first moaned and then sighed.

Just then, Apple Bloom went spinning by and crashed to the ground once again. "Ouch!"

"How's the spin coming along?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"I think I gotta just stick to punches and kicks," said Apple Bloom, figuring that it was less dangerous and then she raised her eyebrows at the costume her friend was holding. "You know, ponies only have four legs."

Sweetie Belle moaned again. "I'll never be a designer like my sister Rarity."

"Hey, it's no big deal," said Apple Bloom getting up and nodded to a nearby mannequin. "Why don't you use the dress form?" she suggested. "It'll help you with your patterns and help you put all the pieces in the right places."

Sweetie Belle blinked, having forgotten that they'd borrowed it from her sister's shop. "Oh, is that what that's for?" she asked.

Apple Bloom nodded and then she glanced at the scenery, which was looking more muddy then bright. "Uh… maybe you should also clean your paintbrush between each color," she added.

Sweetie Belle flushed. "Oh, I was wondering why all the colors looked like mud."

"You're not using power tools, are you?" Apple Bloom asked and was relieved when her friend said no.

* * *

Several days went by, and Applejack decided to check on the Cutie Mark Crusaders and their progress for the talent show. "The talent show is just around the corner," she remarked, reaching the treehouse. "I wonder how the fillies are doin'." Reaching the top of the ramp, she peered through the window and her heart sank when she saw the three fillies practicing.

"Oh! Sorry, Scootaloo."

"That's okay. Ugh!"

"Oops! Sorry, Scootaloo. Ouch!"

"Oh, my bad, Sweetie Belle. Let's sing the chorus again!"

Applejack hurried back down the ramp, disturbed by what she'd seen. "Well, gosh. Sure wasn't expectin' that," she muttered when she heard them come out, she tried to sneak away.

"I think that sounded pretty good," said Apple Bloom.

"Me too. You think we're ready?" Sweetie Belle wondered.

"Ready as we'll ever be," said Scootaloo and she spotted Applejack. "Hey! Did you see us practicing?" she asked.

Applejack hesitated before answering. "Uh… Yeah."

"Well? How'd we do? How'd we do?" Apple Bloom asked eagerly.

Applejack hesitated again, unsure of whether to tell the truth or not. "Uh…"

"Speechless!" said Scootaloo, taking that as a good sign. "See, girls? I told you that's what we're gonna do. We're gonna leave them speechless."

"Yay!"

""Speechless" is right," Applejack agreed, worried about how the talent show would turn out.

* * *

A/N: I hope you enjoy the two chapters! Later! ;) R&R everyone!


	3. Chapter 3: TALENT DISASTER!

My Little Pony Friendship is Magic: The Show Stoppers

A/N: I don't hate you, Roleplayer48, and I do respect your standards. I've just been under a lot of stress lately because of two jobs: the movie job and the job of looking after a client with Autism. Plus, I have responsibilities of being a big sister to three younger sisters (you already know about Yami Faerie with her two boys and Blackbelt98, who is a real life second-degree blackbelt), and my third sister is Panda94, who is non-verbal with two disabilities and needs 24/7 care.

Iago: Geez, no wonder your stress levels are so high.

Dede42: I know, and that's why in 16 days I will be taking a vacation to recharge my batteries.

Pinkie Pie: (comes through the special door at that moment) You run on batteries?!

Dede42: No, it's a expression, Pinkie.

Pinkie Pie: _Oh_. Ok!

Dede42: (turns to the camera) So, no hard feelings and I get what you've been through, Roleplayer48. I haven't had an easy life either since I got bullied a lot growing up and that was even before I knew I had Autism.

Iago: Can I ask my question now?

Dede42: You already asked a question.

Iago: You know what I mean.

Dede42: Ok, Iago, you can ask the question.

Iago: (clears his throat) So, Roleplayer48, what did you think about _who_ returned at the end of Chapter 7? I'll be visiting you soon to hear your answer. (turns to Dede42) _Why_ did you bring _him_ back?

Dede42: (grins) What's life without some surprising twists?

Iago: (groans) Why me? Why me?

Dede42: (turns to Pinkie Pie) Hey, Pinkie, want to help me come up with a prank to use on Discord when he next shows up.

Pinkie Pie: Sure!

Iago: I'm outta here. (He flies through the door and is gone.)

Dede42 and Pinkie Pie: (both wave at the camera) Bye!

Read, review, and enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from _My Little Pony: Magic is Friendship_. I just own any and all characters that I just happen create.

* * *

 **CHAPTER THREE: TALENT DISASTER!**

It was the night of the talent show and every pony in Ponyville had turned out to see the various talents that the fillies would be showing off.

* * *

"…And on the count of three, this rabbit will disappear, and something tasty will reappear in its place," Snipes said as Snails placed a black top hat over a gray rabbit.e "A one, a two, and a three!" he said and removed the hat to reveal that the rabbit was gone, but there was nothing in its' place. "Hey! Where are they?" he asked, looking around frantically while the ponies tittered. "Snails, where are the… carrots. _Snails!_ " He saw his friend was eating the carrots, and chased him off the stage to the laughter of the ponies.

Cheerilee came on stage smiling nervously. "Uh, how about a round of applause for the S&S magic act?" she asked and the ponies stomped their hooves loudly. "Now for our next act, we have Sunny Daze and Peachy Pie reciting their favorite poem… on roller skates!"

* * *

Backstage, the Cutie Mark Crusaders were waiting to go on next and their costumes were hidden under cloaks. They were nervous and waved as the two fillies skated past them.

"Break a leg!" Sweetie Belle called out.

"Sweetie Belle! What a thing to say!" Apple Bloom objected.

"No, no, no," said Sweetie Belle quickly. "You see, in the theater it's considered bad luck to say "good luck". So you say "break a leg" instead."

Twilight Sparkle came up with Sunrise Blossom. "Our little ponies! How are you doing?"

"Nervous…" the Cutie Mark Crusaders answered together.

"Don't worry," Twilight Sparkle said reassuringly. "You're gonna be amazing. Remember, just stick to what you know best. I can't wait to hear you sing, Sweetie Belle," she added.

"And I'm sure that you've come up with some great dance movies, Scootaloo," said Sunrise Blossom.

Sweetie Belle rolled her eyes. "Why does everypony always think _I'm_ gonna sing?" she wondered.

"Actually, Twilight Sparkle, Sunrise Blossom, _I'm_ the main singer tonight," Scootaloo corrected the twins.

Twilight Sparkle and Sunrise Blossom both blinked. "Oh?"

"And I'm the main dancer," said Apple Bloom, striking a pose. "Hi-ya!"

Now the twins were getting nervous. "Oh?"

"And I'm in charge of…" Sweetie Belle began.

"Costumes?" Twilight Sparkle guessed.

Sweetie Belle nodded. "And sets and props. How'd you know?"

"Really, girls? Are you sure…?" Twilight Sparkle began nervously.

"Cutie Mark Crusaders, you're on next," said Cheerilee as she trotted past. "Break a leg."

"Break a le-" Twilight Sparkle began when Apple Bloom tripped before hurrying after her friends as they all tossed off their cloaks. "Uh… good luck!"

"I've got a bad feeling about this," said Sunrise Blossom, now wishing that she hadn't given them the firework potions.

* * *

On stage, the Cutie Mark Crusaders began their performance and they were dressed like rock stars.

"Look, here, are three little ponies," Scootaloo sang with Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle on either side of her. "Ready to sing for this crowd, Listen up, 'cause here's our story. I'm gonna sing it…" and they sang the last two words together. "Very loud!"

The lights came on to reveal the scenery, which was looking vastly better, and Scootaloo stood on a platform, singing loudly while Apple Bloom did her kung fu moves, and Sweetie Belle ran around moving the props and parts of the set. "When you're a younger pony. And your flank is very bare. Feels like the sun will never come. When your cutie mark's not there. So the three of us will fight the fight. There is nothing that we fear. We'll have to figure out what we'll do next."

The Cutie Mark Crusaders then sang the chorus together. "'Til our cutie marks are here! We are the Cutie Mark Crusaders. On a quest to find out who we are. And we will never stop the journey. Not until we have our cutie marks!"

Scootaloo resumed singing her solo while Apple Bloom did more kung fu moves and Sweetie Belle ran on and off the stage with props, being accidentally tripped by the orange pegasus at one point. "They all say that you'll get your mark. When the time is really right. And you know just what you're supposed to do. And your talent comes to light. But it's not as easy as it sounds. And that waiting's hard to do. So we test our talents everywhere-"

And then the Cutie Mark Crusaders sang together after changing the color of the light to blue for effect. "Until our face is blue! We are the Cutie Mark Crusaders. On a quest to find out who we are. And we will never stop the journey. Not until we have our cutie marks!" Unfortunately Apple Bloom got one of her high-legs stuck in one of the sets, which started falling, and Sweetie Belle struggled to keep it from falling as her friend freed herself. "We are the Cutie Mark Crusaders. On a quest to find out who we are. And we will never stop the journey. Not until we have our cutie marks!"

Mere moments after they finished singing, the entire set crashed down around them, setting off the firework potions, and when they dug themselves out, they saw the ponies were staring speechless for several seconds before they all burst into laughter.

The Cutie Mark Crusaders exchanged glum looks. Their performance was a disaster!

* * *

The three fillies retreated backstage, positive that they'd failed since the ponies were still laughing.

"Wow," Scootaloo moaned. "That did _not_ go as well as I expected."

"I can't believe they're laughin' at us," Apple Bloom complained.

Sweetie Belle pouted. "Was it that bad?" she wondered.

Cheerilee came over to them with Spike, who was going to be helping hand out the rewards. "Back on stage, girls," she informed them. "It's time for the awards."

"Back on stage?" Sweetie Belle repeated, alarmed. "No."

"They'll just laugh some more," Apple Bloom protested.

Scootaloo nodded sourly. "Yeah, what's the point?"

"Now girls, let's be good sports," said Cheerilee, escorting them back onto the stage. "You made a great effort. You should be proud. Now come on!"

* * *

Once all of the fillies were back on the stage… well, the Cutie Mark Crusaders were hiding behind the other fillies to avoid being seen, Cheerilee turned to the audience. "Let's hear it for all our talented fillies and colts," she requested and they all stomped their hooves. "Our first award goes to… Snips and Snails for best magic act."

Spike put over their necks blue ribbons with three gold stars on them, and the two admired their rewards.

"Hey!" said Snipes. "Mine's at least shinier."

"Well, mine's bigger," Snails retorted, and they walked off the stage, bickering.

"Oh yeah, well… Well, mine is, um… heavier?"

Cheerilee waited until they were gone before announcing the next winner. "The next award goes to… Sunny Daze and Peachy Pie for best dramatic performance." And the two girls gasped as Spike gave them their rewards, which were shaped like happy masks. "And finally, the last award of the night goes to… the Cutie Mark Crusaders!" she announced and the Cutie Mark Crusaders stared at her in confusion since they couldn't hide anymore. "For best comedy act." And the ponies cheered as the three fillies were given their ribbons by the baby dragon.

They had won!

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A/N: Doing a comedy act wasn't planned, but it worked out all the same. ;) R&R everyone!


	4. Chapter 4: LESSON LEARNED…KINDA

My Little Pony Friendship is Magic: The Show Stoppers

A/N: Yeah, that kinda had a small PSA, but sometimes that how I have to get a point across. Anyhoo, _this_ is the final chapter for this story, and I'm going to be doing some rewriting on two _Adventures of Dr. Whooves_ stories I've written. So, until then, enjoy the _My Little Pony_ stories! See you tomorrow, later! ;)

Read, review, and enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from _My Little Pony: Magic is Friendship_. I just own any and all characters that I just happen create.

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 **CHAPTER FOUR: LESSON LEARNED…KINDA**

Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle raced backstage again, only this time they were thrilled by the fact that they had managed to win despite their performance ended in a disaster.

"Can you believe it? We won!" Apple Bloom squealed, jumping up and down.

"I knew our act was awesome," said Scootaloo happily.

"You know what would be the best?" Sweetie Belle asked eagerly and her friends looked at her. "If we won _and_ we got our cutie marks." And the Cutie Mark Crusaders got rid of their costumes to check their flanks, only to find that they were still blank, and they all pouted.

Twilight Sparkle and Sunrise Blossom trotted up. "Congratulations, ponies! Job well done."

"Thanks, Twilight, Sunrise," said the Cutie Mark Crusaders sadly.

"Hey, you don't sound too excited," said Twilight Sparkle, frowning.

"Yeah, why the blue faces?" Sunrise Blossom asked while glad that she'd managed to dilute the firework potions before they went off to prevent any serious damage.

Scootaloo sighed. "We worked really hard and won a prize, but we still don't have our cutie marks."

"Which is the prize we _really_ wanted," Sweetie Belle added.

"Oh, girls…" Twilight Sparkle began.

"But we think we know why," Apple Bloom interrupted and she was looking happier.

Sweetie Belle nodded. "Yes. We know why."

"Oh? Tell me," Twilight Sparkle requested. "I'd love to make a special report to the Princess."

"Well, maybe we were trying too hard," Sweetie Belle admitted, thinking.

Twilight Sparkle nodded. "Yes? _And_?"

"And instead of forcing ourselves to do something that's not meant for us…" said Scootaloo thoughtfully.

Twilight Sparkle nodded eagerly. "Yes? Yes?"

"We each should be embracing our true talent!" said Apple Bloom.

"And that is…?" Twilight Sparkle asked hopefully.

"Comedy!" the Cutie Mark Crusaders announced together, and the twins both blinked, unsure if that was the lesson they'd been hoping the three fillies would've learned from their experience.

Just then, Applejack came in with Rarity and Rainbow Dash. "Apple Bloom! You did it!"

The Cutie Mark Crusaders ran over to them to show off their medals. "Did you see our award? Weren't we funny?"

Twilight Sparkle just smiled, shook her head and giggled, and Sunrise Blossom did the same. "One day… One day…"

* * *

Later that night, Sunrise Blossom was back in her room above the Apothecary, where she was writing in her book to Princess Celestia.

" _Dear Princess Celestia, while I know that you will be getting a similar report from Twilight, I just wanted to share my thoughts about the adventures that the Cutie Mark Crusaders had the last few days while getting ready for the talent show. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo went outside their comfort zones to put on a show that did end rather poorly, but they came out it as better fillies since they made every pony laugh since they thought it was a comedy._

" _They were disappointed when they didn't get their cutie marks, but I think that they are learning that they will get their cutie marks when the time is right. Although Sweetie Belle is a wonderful singer, she chose to do the costumes, the scenery, and the props, which did work out rather well. Scootaloo might want to reconsider singing since it wasn't great, but it wasn't that bad either, and I'll be suggesting to Applejack about enrolling Apple Bloom into some dance classes, even though her kung fu is quite excellent. I hope everything is going well for you and Princess Luna back in Canterlot, your faithful student, Sunrise Blossom."_

She finished off the report, wrote quickly in her diary, and then she went to bed, wondering what tomorrow would bring for all of Equestria.

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A/N: That's a wrap! See you tomorrow! Later! ;) R&R everyone!


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